The end of a very short era
Dec. 10th, 2009 12:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
okayawesomeOh, Glee.
That was the best episode since the pilot. It was almost enough to make me reconsider my decision to stop watching. For the first time in weeks, things were actually happening! Decisions were made that weren't taken back or forgotten in the span of one episode! Songs were sung and they were pretty good and only a little AutoTuned instead of sounding like T-Pain Does Glee! And there were bisexual cheerleaders! And Emma actually rejected Will at first! Those things were all mega-awesome.
And then I realized that it's the end of the season and they needed to go out on a high note. And then I realized that even going into the second half of the episode, I was rolling my eyes at some of the decisionmaking going on. Of course Mercedes' only ballad is from Dreamgirls (not that she didn't rock it, that was the best song they've had in weeks, but really, she has no other songs in her repertoire?). Of course she was forced to give the solo away to Rachel, even though its getting leaked didn't make much sense since its inclusion was way more last-minute than any of the other songs, unless I drastically missed something.
Of course Tina, Artie, Kurt, Matt and Mike had a combined total of like ten lines, and of course almost all of them (and Mercedes'!) were about Rachel/Finn/Quinn/Puck. Of course. Because minorities only have two topics of conversation: their race/sexuality/disability/other minority status, and the goings on of abled-bodied straight white people.
Oh, and let's not forget that of course the competition ended with Emma, the bastion of purity, delivering a lecture to the weaker-willed black lady and deaf guy, who himself remains a huge joke. Oy.
Ugh, whatever, I'm ranting. And I realize this is a minority (hyuk hyuk) opinion on my flist, although, sorry guys, I wish that weren't the case. I just had to get all my Glee-related irritation out there now that the half-season is over and I can have a nice, clean break from the show, especially after this post helped my feelings of discontent crystallize so nicely.
Really, I did think this was the best episode they've done since the first one. It had a lot of elements I don't like about Glee, but it also brought back all the things I liked about it in the beginning. If they'd stuck with lots of good (non-overproduced) singing, a solid and consistent plot, and kept it about the group -- and actually put some work into knocking down the stereotypes they set up, instead of just parading them around week after week -- I would have really loved it. But as it turned out... frankly, I'm relieved to not have to hear about it for a few months.
I really do hope it gets better, whether or not I'm watching. Obviously, Glee is going to stick around for at least another year, and if it's going to keep being a popular show (and winning awards for diversity, for Pete's sake), I would like to see it stop paying lip service to diversity and actually do it right. Or, if they're going to go ahead and be offensive, just go whole-hog and take it down the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia/Arrested Development/Curb Your Enthusiasm route and sharpen up the satire till it hits consistent, horrible hilarity.
So ultimately, God speed, Ryan Murphy. I hope you take your criticism and listen to it this time, because from what I'm gathering, you didn't do that for the entire run of Nip/Tuck. I hope Glee turns into a good show, and one I can maybe enjoy watching again in a year or so.
In the mean time... well, between this, HIMYM and The Office sucking, Eastwick's cancellation, and Top Chef*/Top Model/Project Runway being over for now, at least my TV schedule is looking a lot lighter?
*SERIOUSLY, CAN SOMEONE TALK ABOUT THIS WITH ME? OH MY GOSH, THAT FINALE WAS SO INTENSE I ALMOST KEELED OVER AND DIED.
ETA Oh, TBF, I did really like the dancing montage at the end of the episode. That was clever. Maybe when it rolls back around I'll just get all the songs from ONTD and ignore the rest.
That was the best episode since the pilot. It was almost enough to make me reconsider my decision to stop watching. For the first time in weeks, things were actually happening! Decisions were made that weren't taken back or forgotten in the span of one episode! Songs were sung and they were pretty good and only a little AutoTuned instead of sounding like T-Pain Does Glee! And there were bisexual cheerleaders! And Emma actually rejected Will at first! Those things were all mega-awesome.
And then I realized that it's the end of the season and they needed to go out on a high note. And then I realized that even going into the second half of the episode, I was rolling my eyes at some of the decisionmaking going on. Of course Mercedes' only ballad is from Dreamgirls (not that she didn't rock it, that was the best song they've had in weeks, but really, she has no other songs in her repertoire?). Of course she was forced to give the solo away to Rachel, even though its getting leaked didn't make much sense since its inclusion was way more last-minute than any of the other songs, unless I drastically missed something.
Of course Tina, Artie, Kurt, Matt and Mike had a combined total of like ten lines, and of course almost all of them (and Mercedes'!) were about Rachel/Finn/Quinn/Puck. Of course. Because minorities only have two topics of conversation: their race/sexuality/disability/other minority status, and the goings on of abled-bodied straight white people.
Oh, and let's not forget that of course the competition ended with Emma, the bastion of purity, delivering a lecture to the weaker-willed black lady and deaf guy, who himself remains a huge joke. Oy.
Ugh, whatever, I'm ranting. And I realize this is a minority (hyuk hyuk) opinion on my flist, although, sorry guys, I wish that weren't the case. I just had to get all my Glee-related irritation out there now that the half-season is over and I can have a nice, clean break from the show, especially after this post helped my feelings of discontent crystallize so nicely.
Really, I did think this was the best episode they've done since the first one. It had a lot of elements I don't like about Glee, but it also brought back all the things I liked about it in the beginning. If they'd stuck with lots of good (non-overproduced) singing, a solid and consistent plot, and kept it about the group -- and actually put some work into knocking down the stereotypes they set up, instead of just parading them around week after week -- I would have really loved it. But as it turned out... frankly, I'm relieved to not have to hear about it for a few months.
I really do hope it gets better, whether or not I'm watching. Obviously, Glee is going to stick around for at least another year, and if it's going to keep being a popular show (and winning awards for diversity, for Pete's sake), I would like to see it stop paying lip service to diversity and actually do it right. Or, if they're going to go ahead and be offensive, just go whole-hog and take it down the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia/Arrested Development/Curb Your Enthusiasm route and sharpen up the satire till it hits consistent, horrible hilarity.
So ultimately, God speed, Ryan Murphy. I hope you take your criticism and listen to it this time, because from what I'm gathering, you didn't do that for the entire run of Nip/Tuck. I hope Glee turns into a good show, and one I can maybe enjoy watching again in a year or so.
In the mean time... well, between this, HIMYM and The Office sucking, Eastwick's cancellation, and Top Chef*/Top Model/Project Runway being over for now, at least my TV schedule is looking a lot lighter?
*SERIOUSLY, CAN SOMEONE TALK ABOUT THIS WITH ME? OH MY GOSH, THAT FINALE WAS SO INTENSE I ALMOST KEELED OVER AND DIED.
ETA Oh, TBF, I did really like the dancing montage at the end of the episode. That was clever. Maybe when it rolls back around I'll just get all the songs from ONTD and ignore the rest.
